All About Konstrukta

For all parents who want only the best for their child...

 

How a Konstrukta toy can ensure your child's healthy development...

 

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Hello!

If you are here, you are probably a parent or grandparent of one or more children and want only the best for them. That means you care about them:

 

  • Health

  • Happiness

  • Self-image

  • Educational opportunities

  • Financial literacy

  • Independence

  • And more...

 

In case this is true, you will be delighted by the following. In it, we reveal how you can forget most of the above-mentioned worries and ensure your child's (or grandchild's) healthy development with the help of a Konstrukta toy.

 

But before we get there (your persistence to read to the end will be rewarded, we promise!), let us briefly introduce ourselves. The Konstrukta toy was designed by renowned designer Niko Kralj back in 1976. The Museum of Architecture and Design MAO holds the original plans, matrices and prototype of the Konstrukta toy in the Kralj Design Collection. Curator Natalija Lapajne curated a study exhibition to mark the centenary of the designer's birth and recognised the immense potential in the toy system. In order to make it finally come to life, she got in touch with the King's heiress, her daughter Veronika, and connected her with Meta Kamšek, coordinator of the cooperative Festival of Wood from Kočevje.

 

Meta Kamšek started working with MAO when she was still the headmistress of the Kočevje Grammar and Secondary School. As a woodworking school, they made part of the construction at the BIO 25 exhibition for the Occupy the woods project under the mentorship of the renowned French designer Matallie Crasset. Natalia Lapajna's initiative to try to make a toy and launch it on the market was gladly accepted. And the project to revive the wooden toy of Niko Kralj was launched within the framework of the Creativity Centre, run by MAO.

 

With the help of local companies and the rich forests, the Festival of Wood team managed to realise the Kralj's idea of the Konstrukta toy that will delight children and adults alike.

 

But to make sure we're not the only ones talking about it, read our user reviews...

 

Konstrukta is rated as a "good toy"...

 

Not only what users think, but we also think it is important to hear what Dr. Ljubica Marjanovič Umek, who for many years headed the expert committee for the evaluation of good toys, has to say about it.

 

In 1984, the "Good Toy" toy quality assessment commission was set up in Yugoslavia, following the example of the German "Spiel gut" award for good toys, and continued to operate until 2009.

Since 2014, Slovenia has also had a Toy Development Institute, which, with the support of the Kočevje Business Incubator, has been working with Slovenian toy manufacturers and service providers, while the commission at the Ministry of Education, Training and Sport, which used to issue the Good Toy Certificate, is no longer in operation.

 

Nevertheless, the Festival of Wood received a positive assessment from Dr Ljubica Marjanovič Umek, who headed the expert committee for many years: 'We have concluded that the toy can be offered as suitable and safe to children from 5 years of age onwards. We consider that the toy is also suitable for the activities of work centres, nursing homes and home play."

To read the full peer review, click here.

 

What does this mean for you and your child?

 

Wood, sustainability, "good toys" and STEM competences. What does this mean for you and your child now?

 

Let Dr Marjanovič Umek answer this question, she said the following...

 

The essence of construction play is that the child, either on the basis of his or her original idea or by "reading" plan to make different things. As the child builds in the room, he or she is especially spatial awareness, accuracy, attention and perseverance.

 

The toy encourages children's logical thinking, the use of fine movements and hand-eye coordination.

 

Children can also continue to play with the objects they have made, especially in the direction of imaginative or symbolic play, for example by creating a zoo with the addition of other toys, going on a journey in a car or a helicopter... or by taking their products apart for a period of time, modifying them from time to time, adding to them, and then building them again from scratch.

 

Children can play with the toy individually or in small groups - the latter also involves mutual agreement and cooperation, which is important for developing social skills.

 

Because the toy is made of wood, it gives children and other users a pleasant and soothing feeling.

 

Konstrukta toy stimulates children's convergent and divergent thinking and enables them to acquire basic technical skills (STEM) while finding new and different solutions.

 

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) toys are a great tool for introducing your child to the fundamental concepts of science, technology, engineering and maths. Playing with them is also a great way to stimulate your child's natural curiosity. These types of toys incorporate science, technology, engineering and math concepts in an engaging way that is fun for children of all ages.

Do you still remember why you're here and what worries you can push away just a little with a Konstrukta toy? That's right, your child will be with Konstrukta:

 

  • Develop a healthy attitude to learning

  • Becoming more and more curious (also elsewhere in life)

  • Expand your imagination and creativity

  • Become critical and enthusiastic in problem-solving

  • Build a strong self-image and self-confidence

  • Develop your social skills

 

We do not claim that just playing with Konstrukta will provide your child or grandchild with a lifetime of care. We know how much effort it takes to make it happen. But by buying a toy, you can have a significant impact on his or her healthy development.

 

So, if you've got to this point, you've probably asked yourself at least once...

 

Where did the idea of Konstrukta come from? What do you want to achieve with it?

 

Our love for nature, local development, sustainability and the desire to develop science skills in the youngest children is what drives us to persevere. We want every parent, grandparent and workers in educational and care centres to get to know Konstrukta.

 

To give her a chance, to try and influence the lives of her children and ultimately her own life. Because the toy is popular with people of all ages. It reminds older people of their childhood playing with LEGO bricks and similar construction and wooden toys, which will always remain in their memories. This makes them even more eager to introduce such toys to their loved ones.

 

In addition to the above, we are extremely keen to stimulate the local economy and to provide a kind of "counterbalance" to the global exploitation of workers, unnecessary use of energy, transport and plastics. By making a purchase, you are also making a contribution back to your environment, which will be eternally grateful to you.

 

We don't want to just talk about how we fell in love with Konstrukta ourselves, because that's a given. More than the fact that it has already delighted more than 126 customers, or 1324 users (in only 3 months), who have encountered it, we consider it important that, in addition to the "Good Toy" label, it has also been awarded three important certifications:

 

  • The "O, Kočevsko" certificate, which places Konstrukta among the selected products directly linked to the identity of Kočevje. The Kočevsko Institute has classified it as a Collective Brand and Konstrukta will be sold in their TICs.

 

  • Seal of Excellence "Made in Slovenia", awarded by the Centre for Creativity. These are examples of good practice of Slovenian creators and companies operating in the creative sector.

 

  • The Museum of Architecture and Design has received a special award for the toy Konstrukta, which is available in its shop, the GOLDEN CUBE 2023.

The Golden Cube Awards are given to those who develop programmes and projects in the field of architecture and the built environment for children and young people. The awards were open to educational institutions, other institutions, individuals and the media.

 

All this further validates our work and gives us extra impetus to develop the idea further and to persevere with sustainable design.

 

It sounds very good, but you're probably mainly interested in...

 

What will it look like when you receive Konstrukta in your home?

It will look something like this...

play

In the box you will find a stack of wooden modules and plastic connectives (depending on the set), an instruction manual, a Konstrukta meter and cards with suggestions of what you can build with Konstrukta. This will probably only be interesting at the beginning, but after that the imagination will open up and creativity knows no bounds here.

 

Your time with the children will go by too quickly, because creating with Konstrukta is about perseverance, problem solving and teamwork. You'll forget the word "bored" and you'll probably have to interrupt play (the kids won't be impressed) for lunch, visits or an evening swim.

 

So you don't say we didn't warn you :)

 

What can we concretely build with Konstrukta?

 

While this depends primarily on the SET you choose, here are just a few of the options that exist:

 

  • Acrobat plane,

  • Dog Frk,

  • Choo Choo Train,

  • Jane the Giraffe,

  • Formula 1,

  • Annie the Duck,

  • Windmill,

  • Gobi the Camel,

  • Joga the Centipede,

  • Chopper Motorbike,

  • Ledo the Mammoth,...

 

   

 

We've also added a "Konstrukta meter" to help you measure and select the right puzzle pieces. These are just a few examples of the endless variety of living creatures, buildings, vehicles, objects and images of a sustainable wooden world that can be built with Konstrukta.

 

Since you've made it here, we have something special for you...

 

We are extremely grateful that you are still with us and that you are at least a little bit excited about Konstrukta. As a token of our gratitude, we are giving you something special.

 

If you decide to buy Konstrukta, we give you additional WOODEN MODULES absolutely free! Yes, really. This means you'll be able to create several models at the same time and you won't have to worry about running out of a pieces.

 

When buying:

 

  • SET 38 you receive a number of wooden modules worth 50€, i.e. 10 modules

  • SET 24 you receive wooden modules worth 35€ i.e. 7 modules

  • SET 17 you receive wooden modules worth 25€ i.e. 5 modules

 

The wooden sticks (modules) are the heart of the toy. With the extra modules we give you free of charge, you will increase the number of possible assemblies, combinations and use even more imagination. Your creations can be bigger, more innovative and more sophisticated.

 

But BEWARE! If you want us to give you free wooden modules with your purchase, you must write the discount code in the box provided, using the code BONUS17 (for Konstrukta set 17), BONUS24 (for Konstrukta set 24) or BONUS38 (for Konstrukta set 38).

 

Good, but what about the price?

 

Look, Niko Kralj (1920-2013) was one of the most important industrial designers of the second half of the 20th century. He achieved worldwide recognition for his timeless chairs, but he also developed modular furniture systems and a wide variety of everyday objects.

 

As a pioneer of Slovenian and Yugoslav industrial design, he made his mark on the world's collective consciousness with the Rex, 4455, Mosqito and Lupina chairs. The first of these is also included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, MOMA, New York.

 

He was also an outstanding innovator in the fields of construction, timber bonding and production rationalisation. In total, he applied for 118 patents and designs. He has received more than 100 prestigious professional awards at home and abroad for his outstanding work. He was also an outstanding professor, theoretician and researcher, who, among other things, left a wealth of research material on the Slovenian architectural heritage, the trestles.

 

In furniture production, he wondered how to make use of waste pieces of otherwise high-quality wood. He realised that the furniture industry could use the waste from solid wood to make sticks that children could assemble into different shapes according to his suggestions (giraffe, dog, plane, submarine, car, etc.), while leaving room for children's imagination, creative thinking and exploration.

 

We could go on and on, and his Konstrukte design is both a rich cultural heritage and a special piece of furniture for lovers of collectors' pieces.

 

The design also solves the problem of safety, as both the components and the toy as a whole have no sharp edges or corners. The King said that none of the inventors of well-known jigsaw puzzles such as Lego, Merclin, Matador, etc., took this aspect into account.

 

All this and more, plus all the benefits listed above for YOUR child, are probably invaluable to you.

We also consider Konstrukta to be priceless and could easily put a price of EUR 1,500 on it and there would be absolutely nothing wrong with that.

 

But of course you will NOT have to pay that much. Fortunately, with a lot of effort and perseverance, we have managed to set the price of Konstrukta from 99,88 EUR (incl. VAT) onwards.

 

The price for SET-17 is EUR 168.88, while for SET-24 it is EUR 168.88 and for SET-38 EUR 266.55.

 

Yes, the price of plastic toys or similar competing toys is significantly lower. But do you realise that, for example, if you buy a plastic toy that takes over 1000 years to decompose, and if you include the cost of decomposition, you can actually buy 4 or more Konstrukta toys for that price?

 

Yes, it is true. But the construct will stay with you from generation to generation, easily replacing a bunch of plastic and competing toys that have run up their price by exploiting workers, natural resources and plastics. And they have not included the cost of plastic degradation.

 

Well, we know that buying Konstrukta is not easy and for many it is a big burden. That's why we also offer you the option to pay in instalments and at least go that little bit further.

 

Even if the price seems too low at best, we'll go even further to help you...

 

We are really grateful that you are still here with us and you are probably really excited about Konstrukta by now. Because we really believe in it 120%, we offer you a SATISFACTION GUARANTEE.

 

That's right, if you are not satisfied with your purchase within 30 days and you tell us a good reason for returning it, we will refund your purchase price, no questions asked!

 

Yes, you read that right, we are so sure that it won't even come to that that we are prepared to go for this slightly crazy bargain :)

 

 

Now you're probably wondering how you can bring Konstrukta into your living room?

 

Simply...

 

The link a few lines later will take you to our cute online shop where you can choose between SET-17, SET-24 or SET-38. If you are a small family, we recommend the first choice, but if you have a family of 4 or more, we recommend the SET-24 or SET-38 (which is surprisingly the most popular to date).

 

Don't worry, if you find yourself short of wooden modules or connectors, you can always order them without any problems. This will ensure that you never run out of that one or two pieces, just at the end of the assembly process :)

 

So add your chosen SET to your basket in the online shop, follow the steps, provide your details (if you wish to pay by invoice or in instalments, you will need to contact our email address info@konstrukta.eu for more detailed instructions) and complete your purchase. Within 5 to 7 days, the Konstrukta party in your living room will be ready to start.

 

Click here to order your Konstrukta

 

Don't forget to use the code "BONUS17, BONUS24 or BONUS38" for free wooden modules!

We look forward to seeing you play with Konstrukta,

Fesitval of Wood Team

P.S. If you're still here, you're probably one of those people who want to know everything before you buy and make absolutely sure it's the right decision.

 

To help you make up your mind, here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions.